The L Word Bette Porter Tina Kennard

Sleeping Rough – Bette Porter L Word

I’m not usually impetuous. I can see its value. I have watched its serendipity. I’m a bit more of a plotter. It’s what makes me a good art critic, because I can see starting points and artist’s inspiration. I can tune in and feel the artist’s overall strategy for the creation in front of me. Where they began and where they hoped to end up, and between there and where is the place the magic in art can happen.

Only with artists and intellectuals I know very well do I ever admit after rivers of wine and hours of heady debate that when the artist and the mind, and the brush and the color come together, Art can only be described sometimes as Magic.

Not God, or human skillful execution. Not dumb luck – although that does happen – but magic, and that word spoken leaves a room almost quiet for a moment because every artist there has felt ‘It’. And as artists we don’t really know what IT is so, the smartest ones of us just shut the fuck up, until the moment passes. A silent acknowledgement to – The Mystery.

But tonight I have been impetuous, and my rashness has drawn me far away from the hotel, and far down this dark road. My headlights pan across the tree trunks in the old forest as the rural country road winds south. I slide the rental car’s window down a crack.

Fresh air hits my face.

The wind is icy.

Behind me Angelica is strapped in her baby seat. She makes a sputtering baby cry. “Mama B and Angie had to take a little ride, sweetheart,” I console her, as if my not having the faintest clue helps either of us at all.

WalMart – North Washington State – Bette

Holy Mother of God! What the fuck is this place? It’s a hideously fluorescent main street with a drug store, an Optometrist’s eye wear shop, a bank, a McDonalds, and then we eventually get to the store’s interior.

Is this one of the places people lose their minds to get into on Black Fridays after Thanksgiving? I bet it is. But why?

I roll my cart with Angelica held in my arms past rows and aisles of things I cannot imagine ever wanting to possess. until I finally arrive at the WalMart Baby Section. Gods of Retail! Make me a better Mother! My eyes seize upon sippy cups, and a very sweet little blanket with blue sheep leaping over tiny rainbows. Hmm, WalMart is not so bad.

You are absolutely correct, Ms. BB. Bette is a lovable snob. Did she expect to find Manolos interspersed amongst the Crocs? Or perhaps, an Armani stashed by a made in Viet Nam suit? And Ms. Porter is truly a Cursing Goddess. There is a funny video on YouTube where Bette curses up a storm….lots of F Yous and Shits. JB does it with such panache. I love reading her narratives. Keep up the great work! It’s difficult to be funny in print but you do it so well.

Bette has went “out of control” when she kidnapped her daughter from Tina. it was extreme expecially when she bought the knife from Walmart. Hilarious paragraph about Bette not know what “Walmart” is until she shopped there. it was very funny. the one thing i hate is, tina and bette argument from their attorney’s meeting. heartbreaking!!!. i really enjoy this story. you written so much good stories i had read in past few weeks. keep them coming cuz i look forward to them.. always!!!

LOL Bette going nuts was hilarious, but sad at the same time. It’s wonderdul how you wrote her feelings (in a funny but not ‘too much’ way; it’s just real) I could really feel her wanting to injure Henry (… and I’d gladly help her). It’s true, sometimes bad things in life lead you to think about some of the craziest things ever… after all, he’s one of the many things that took the love of her life away from her.

Thanks, again, for another amazing chapter! So looking forward to reading the next one.

Bette’s got her mojo back. You can’t keep a good woman down for long. Each of them drove the other to the edge of the precipice and it concluded with explosive reaction. But the underlying current still exists as they both admitted to it.
The scene in Wal-Mart was priceless as Bette was dropped into a new world of possibilities. The knife was a good touch. Her snootiness of being a consumer was changed a bit with what was offered to her in her time of need.
I love the way Joyce deals with them when they’re more into shouting then listening. She has a way of getting them back to what’s important when no one else can. Great chapter once again, Thank you for your unique insight into this world.

Excellent! You turned a terrible chapter in Bette’s life to the Alpha that we love so well full of courage and unswerving convictions. It was so funny…Bette wanting to skin Henry alive and great job of showing us the Bowie knife. I lost it when I read about the “wolf protector”! Care to share what Joyce’s report was about?

Bette is definitely and officially fucking nuts! Deranged! Wally World is her go to store? Very funny! You perfectly captured Bette’s Vancouver insanity. I loved the scene in Joyce’s office. Bette had her swerve on w/her clever and sharp toned comments to Tina. Desperate times call for desperate measures.

It was totally crazy! 😀
I leaned in laughter during the shopping trip. this would be an interesting twist in the story, see Henry skinned alive 😀 I bet, you can even write about this. but I’m not so cruel 😉
I look forward to how they’re starting fix their relationship.
I look forward to the next chapter